Saturday - > 360 Explorers, their Families and the wider public (All ages).

Schools attend for free and can get support to cover travel costs. Families will pay affordable ticket prices based on the activities they want to attend. All Explorers Fair events will be on timed tickets.

Who is behind it?

Near Now is Broadway’s studio for arts, design and innovation. We help people and companies launch ideas that explore technology in everyday life. We are passionate about design and digital literacy. We seed funded musical invention kit Ototo & 3D printing design curriculum kit Kideville. Our team includes experienced producers with a track record in delivering large scale events and festivals.

Kideville

Ototo

We believe 'Everyone is an explorer' and discovers science & technology best through creative learning and play.

1. Create a platform that connects and celebrates the great work the city is doing.

2. Inspire creative explorers and educators through a fun, engaging and family friendly event.

3. Establish Explorers Fair as a leading annual event to discover creative learning and STEAM opportunities in Nottingham.

Who are you looking for?

Explorers Fair is a platform for creative learning champions who want to inspire passion for science and technology in Nottingham. You might be a:

Creative science and technology product or service.

Club, Project or Community.

School / Academy or University.

Breakthrough in science and technology.

Something we’ve not imagined yet!

Below are just some of the ways you can bring your projects to life at Explorers Fair.

Showing at the Expo

Thursday, Friday, Saturday

At the heart of the Fair is a 15 stall expo. We are looking for hands on and playful taster interactions. Interactions should be for groups of 3 - 6 kids (& big kids) and last up to 10 minutes. Explorers Fair is not just about exhibiting your project, but finding imaginative ways to hook the audiences' interest by showing it in action or trying it for real. It could also be a creative activity that gets the audience thinking about how your idea works, or something to take away.

Running a Hands on Workshop

Saturday Only

Do you run an awesome workshop to promote your project? From coding and electronics to tabletop science experiments; we are looking for creative learning workshops that can be delivered in 1 ½ hours. Workshops should help young people to learn through making, building, or experimenting. Workshops will be a taster ‘How to...’ for groups of up to 16 children and their families.

Hosting a Makers Session

Saturday Only

Makers Sessions are an interactive show & tell for projects who want to get rich feedback from a smaller group of explorers. They have a capacity of 10 and give you an opportunity to have a conversation about your ideas.

Running a Drop In Session

Saturday Only

Do you have a playful activity where families create together to learn about science and tech? We are looking for crafty, quick and simple activities that take no longer than 30 minutes. Drop in sessions are a great way to engage with lots of families. They might be an activity where everyone gets to take something away or leave something behind to make a big project together.

What will I get as an Exhibitor?

Stalls at this year’s pilot Explorers Fair are FREE. Explorers Fair is a welcoming platform and supportive community to:

Inspire young people to get interested in science and tech.

Work with young people from harder to reach backgrounds.

Share and showcase your work.

Grow your network.

Test your idea and prototypes with a keen audience.

Recruit young explorers to further engage in the work that you do.

Sounds Awesome! What do I do next?

To get started, complete this simple Expression of Interest. The online form will ask you for the following details:

Project / Business Name

Tell us a bit about what you do? (Less than 300 characters)

Contact Information

Tell us about your ideas (Less than 300 characters)

What parts of the Fair are you interested in? (e.g. Showing at the Expo, Running a Workshop, Hosting a Makers Session, Running a Drop-In Session)